BOOZING? It's a mug's game.

Or at least it used to be a few years back. Regular drinkers at what was the basement bar beneath the Dean Court Hotel in Duncombe Place, York, were immortalised with their own tankard.

Now these receptacles have been rediscovered. Rather than throw them away, hotel staff would like to reunite them with their owners.

Altogether nine tankards have been discovered gathering dust. Some are stainless steel, others are pewter, and all are engraved with a name.

"We found them in a box. They must have been there since the bar closed in 1988," said Christine Bedford of the hotel.

Staff from York & County Press, publishers of this fine organ, were among those who used to frequent the Dean Court Bar when our HQ was in Coney Street. But there were many other regulars from all walks of life.

No one is quite sure how often you had to turn up to the lively bar to merit your own tankard. But it is fair to guess that hundreds of pints were supped by these stalwarts before the bar disappeared to be replaced by a conference room.

These days, the hotel bar is on the ground floor. Called The DC, it is a tankard-free zone.

If anyone recognises their name in the following list, or knows where these people are, could they please get in touch with Christine on (01904) 625082.

Alec Hogan; George Holmes; GE Holmes; Len Jarvis; Gerald Halliwell; Ken Whitfield; Bill Martin; Eddie Motherwell; Bob Gawminski.

u THEY like their festivals in Black Sheep country.

The first music festival to be sponsored by the North Yorkshire brewery takes place in its own village of Masham from June 17 to 19.

And one band have travelled for thousands of miles to be there.

Tanglefoot (no connection to the beer of the same name) are a five-piece acoustic band from Canada.

They are eagerly awaiting their return to this part of the world.

"Maybe it's because I grew up reading James Herriot books, or maybe because so many of my neighbours where I grew up in Ontario had Yorkshire roots but, right from our first UK tour back in 1998, I felt instantly at home in Yorkshire," said Steve Ritchie, Tanglefoot's guitarist.

The band likes the beer too.

"I especially like Black Sheep Best Bitter. It stands out as my favourite of all the fine English beer I've sampled -- and I've sampled quite a few," said fiddle player Terry Snider, quite unprompted.

Meanwhile plans for the fourth Boots and Beer Walking Festival are well underway. Presented by Black Sheep Brewery and Country Walking magazine, it takes place on the weekend of September 9-11.

There are 500 places up for grabs to take part in one or more of 14 walks. Application forms and more details from 01423 871750 or www.bootsandbeer.com.

Previous events have raised more than £2,000 for the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

uFITNESS fanatics: drink more beer.

After Bar Talk pointed out the many health-giving qualities of the brown stuff, a press release lands on our desk confirming that it is good for you.

Issued on behalf of website beer-naturally.co.uk, it reminds us that beer is fat free, and has far fewer calories than alcopops, wine or even a packet of crisps.

Doesn't that make you feel good?

Updated: 11:09 Saturday, May 21, 2005